Pope Francis celebrated Mass for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, also known as the feast of the Magi, or Three Kings Day, Jan. 6 at the Vatican.
"Today, the Lord invites us to do like the Magi," the Holy Father said. "Let us prostrate, let us surrender before God in the amazement of adoration. Let us worship God and not our self; let us adore God and not the false idols that seduce us with the fascination of prestige and power, with the fascination of false news; let us adore God, so as not to bow to the things that happen or to the seductive and empty logics of evil."
The celebration of Three Kings Day is one of the most deeply rooted Catholic traditions of the Hispanic community during the Christmas season.
"...and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh" Matthew 2:11.
This event inspires many Hispanic families today to share the traditional gifts of the Magi with their relatives or friends during this time. In the United States, it is being celebrated more and more. Today, all Mexican and Central American bakeries are selling hundreds of Rosca de Reyes, a sweet bread that is a special food for Three Kings Day.
Although it is celebrated on January 6, each country has its own way of celebrating. For example, in Puerto Rico, children leave a box with grass and water under the Christmas tree for the animals that transport the kings.
“I remember that we would go to the fields to bring grass and put it in a box for the royal camels,” recalled Mirta Vázquez, who is retired in New York but visiting her daughter in Raleigh.
In Mexico, children write a letter to the kings telling how they behaved during the year and the three gifts they wish for. The letter is left in a shoe next to the Christmas tree or put in a balloon to fly through the skies.
And in order not to lose the tradition, currently several agencies and organizations will carry out this "magical" celebration of the kings.
In the Triangle, the 19th Annual Desfile del Día de Reyes, or Three Kings Day Parade, will take place on Academy Street in Downtown Cary on Saturday, January 7, 2023, at 1 p.m. The parade is presented by Diamante Arts & Cultural Center, a community-grounded, arts and culture organization in North Carolina dedicated to the promotion of the culture, heritage, and artistic expressions of the diverse Latino and Hispanic population in North Carolina. The parade of individuals, community groups and businesses, walking, driving vehicles or riding on floats, will precede the arrival of the Three Kings.
Epiphany Prayer
“Breathe upon us gracious God, I pray, and show us this day Your Star which you did once show to the Magi, that as it formerly guided them to Christ, so, it may lead us to the Mysteries of Christ.”
Marsilio Ficino 1433-1499